Product Design Engineering Manager (Thermal) - Aerospace & Defense Industry!

The HEICO Companies, LLC; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The HEICO Companies, LLC is seeking a technically driven Product Design Engineering Manager to lead the conception and development of rugged embedded computing products for aerospace and defense. This role blends engineering leadership with strategic product management, translating customer missions into hardware solutions and guiding products from concept through deployment.

You will define roadmaps, drive NPI, and collaborate with manufacturing and customers to ensure quality, regulatory

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or industrial engineering (or similar).
• 7+ years in a dynamic engineering role.
• 3+ years in an engineering leadership role with a focus on NPI.
• Experience managing technical products from concept through production.
• Strong understanding of embedded computer architectures (VPX, VME, cPCI).
• Hands-on experience in high-precision machining and assembly.

Responsibilities

• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for rugged platforms.
• Gather and translate defense and aerospace customer requirements.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
• Create product requirements documents and engineering specs.
• Lead products from concept through production and end-of-life.
• Coordinate launches with sales, marketing, and operations teams.
• Collaborate with quality, supply chain, and manufacturing for alignment.
• Mentor teams and drive continuous improvement in processes.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

SolidWorks

MS Office

Embedded systems

New Product Introduction

Machining knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or industrial engineering

Advanced degree desirable

Tools

VPX

VME

cPCI

Job description

C/A Design is seeking a technically driven Product Design Engineering Manager (PDEM) to lead the conception, and development of rugged embedded computing products for aerospace, defense, and other applications. This role combines engineering with strategic product management. The candidate understands customer mission requirements, translates them into innovative hardware solutions, and guides products from concept through deployment. The PDEM contributes to developing new products and scaling to full scale production while also optimizing manufacturing processes and increasing efficiencies on existing technologies. The PDEM will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, and key customers to deliver high-performance solutions that meet environmental and regulatory requirements.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Foster a culture of proactive safety, continually demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to the highest standard of health and safety for the workforce.
• Define product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle strategy for mechanical and thermal products within rugged embedded computing platforms and adjacent defense and aerospace applications.
• Gather and prioritize customer requirements from defense and aerospace customers.
• Conduct competitive analysis and identify emerging technologies and market trends.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
• Create product requirements documents and engineering specifications.
• Manage products throughout their lifecycle, including new product introduction, sustaining engineering, and end-of-life planning.
• Coordinate product launches with sales, marketing, and operations teams.
• Participate within industry organizations and technical working groups.
• Coordinate with other department heads (quality, supply chain and operations teams) to ensure alignment of manufacturing objectives with overall company goals.
• Oversee all production processes, including the creation, maintenance, and improvement of process documentation, ensuring adherence to quality and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale new processes from prototype to production.
• Liaise with vendors and suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of equipment and materials while upholding quality standards.
• Analyze production metrics and performance data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams while leading new products from quote through production.
• Maintain department performance metrics.
• Foster a culture of innovation, teamwork, and accountability within the sales and engineering departments.
• Serve as the technical expert and point of contact for manufacturing engineering issues, providing guidance and support to resolve complex problems.
• Travel: attend customer site visits, leadership meetings, trade shows, and industry organization meetings (10-20%).

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or similar engineering discipline required.
• Advanced degrees are highly desirable.
• 7+ years in a dynamic Engineering role.
• 3+ years in an Engineering leadership role with a heavy focus on New Product Introduction.
• Experience managing technical products from concept through production.
• Strong understanding of embedded computer architectures (VPX, VME, cPCI, etc.).
• Strong working knowledge of high precision machining and programming.
• Strong knowledge of engineering principles, along with hands-on experience within a high precision machining and assembly environment.
• Excellent project management skills, ability to own a project from start to finish and successfully delegate roles within a team.
• Leadership qualities - a positive & influential manager capable of strengthening internal and external relationships while bringing out the best in their staff.
• A continuous improvement mindset - someone that embraces change and leads the way.
• Exceptional technical skills to include SolidWorks and MS Office.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the work shift.
• Ability to frequently use hands and fingers to operate machine controls, tools, and measuring instruments.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and components weighing up to 40 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach as required to load, unload, and inspect parts and equipment.
• Ability to perform repetitive motions involving the hands, wrists, and arms.
• Ability to visually inspect parts, interpret and read blueprints, technical drawings, work instructions, and use gauges, and measuring devices.
• Ability to distinguish colors, dimensions, and surface defects when performing quality inspections.
• Ability to hear and communicate effectively in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to safely operate equipment in a fast-paced production setting while wearing required personal protective equipment (PPE), including safety glasses, hearing protection, safety shoes, and other equipment as required.
• Ability to work in an environment with exposure to machine noise, metal chips, cutting fluids, lubricants, and varying temperatures.
• Ability to maintain regular attendance and work scheduled shifts, including overtime as required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Manufacturing environment with exposure to moving mechanical equipment. Frequent interaction with machine tools, raw materials, and finished products. Compliance with all company safety policies, housekeeping requirements, and Foreign Object Debris (FOD) prevention practices. Required use of appropriate PPE and adherence to all safety procedures.

Essential Functions Disclaimer:Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

ABOUT HEICO

Heico has a history of success. Since its founding over 40 years ago The Heico Companies has grown from a single business to over 80 separate companies through a strategic acquisition policy, and by reinvesting its earnings into internal growth and new prospects. Historically talented at restoring distressed companies, Heico now strategically targets acquisitions that will complement its ever-growing portfolio of companies in manufacturing, construction, and industrial services. These four core operations are organized into groups: Metal Processing Group, Construction Solutions Group, Applied Solutions Group, and Industrial Technologies Group. Once acquired, new Heico companies are assigned to a group and run on a stand-alone basis, allowing for great independence as well as the opportunity to share knowledge about markets, production processes, and management practices across other Heico groups and companies. Each Group has its own corporate team. Heico continues to seek out new opportunities and maintain its standard of success. The Heico Companies has remained a privately held company since its creation and maintains a majority ownership in each of its operations, which generates more than $3.3 billion dollars in revenues. Many of our businesses are certified Woman-owned Business Enterprises (WBE). More information about the holding company and overall organization can be found at www.heicocompanies.com.